VALVULAR DEVICE FOR THE LIQUID ORAL FEEDING OF PERSONS

Abstract: This invention concerns the field of medical articles, particularly with reference to the oral feeding, either in hospital or at home, of persons who are either temporarily or completely not self-sufficient and others. The valvular device consists in a capsule - formed by an olive-shaped body (1) and a neck consisting in a connecting tube (2) - and in valve (3) lodged in the said body (1) which opens through suction. The body (1), is hollow and features one exit hole (4), and one entrance hole (5) which coincides with the exit hole of the connecting tube (2). The latter features a ring-shaped external projection (6) whereby the device is fastened to the user's dental arch. The connecting hole (2) is joined to a small tube (8), along which runs a bell-shaped protective covering (11) for the body (1) of the device.

Description: Valvular device for the liquid oral feeding of persons. Technical Field This invention concerns the field of medical articles, particularly with reference to the oral feeding, either in hospital or at home, of persons who are not self-sufficient or who, though self-sufficient, have a temporary impediment. Background Art At the present stage of technical development there is no other device that is conceptually similar to the present one. Indeed, at present, persons who are not self-sufficient (the elderly or the disabled) or seriously undernourished patients - who therefore require food supplements - or stomatological and otorhynolaryngological patients who have undergone surgery in the oral-pharyngeal cavity are fed orally by means of ordinary straws or spoons of various sizes. Consequently, an individual exposed to the above situations is compelled to turn to the hospital's nursing staff or to volunteers for help in order to be nourished, thereby incurring in a two-fold drawback: his dependence on others and his inability to choose freely when he wishes to be fed. Furthermore, there are other categories of persons who have feeding difficulties owing to specific circumstances: athletes and people whose work engages their hands continuously, for instance cyclists, who are obliged to make difficult contortions in order to drink during a competition and drivers who cannot let go of the steering wheel. Disclosure of Invention The aim of this invention is to create a device enabling the oral feeding of liquid and semi-liquid food to home or hospital patients, or to individuals who are temporarily or permanently not self-sufficient, thereby freeing them from their dependance on hospital nursing staff, which can thus be spared. Another aim is to provide certain types of healthy individuals with a device enabling them to take food or beverages (water, fruit juices, etc.) easily only with minimal hand use. These and other objectives can be fulfilled by using the valvular device of the patent in question, which is made with a soft and elastic material and consists in a capsule - formed by an olive-shaped body and a neck formed by a small connecting tube - and a valve lodged in the said body. The latter is hollow and features one exit hole, and one entrance hole which coincides with the exit hole of the connecting tube. The connecting tube features a ring-shaped external projection whereby the device is fastened to the user's dental arch. The body of the capsule features the shape of a solid derived from the rotation of an ellipse along its greatest diameter with a round transversal section (as in the case of an olive), or of an ellipsoidal transversal section, in which case it has a flattened body. The device's valve prevents the liquid or fluid nutrient from flowing through - it is opened by suction and returns to its resting position (closed) thanks to the elastic properties of the material with which it is made. Ideally, this valve should be of the membrane type with two or more elastic elements. This device comes with an ordinary parenteral feeding set consisting in a small tube and a bottle or thermos, which contains the fluid nutrient and is endowed with a common system enabling the entrance of air into the bottle, which is also triggered by suction. A bell-shaped protective covering runs along the tube, which is connected to the bottle (or thermos) and to the valvular device. Brief Description of Drawings Further characteristics and advantages of this invention can be more adequately enhanced by the description of a particular carrying out mode for the valvular device which is recommended but not binding, and which is illustrated for reference in the enclosed drawings wherein: - figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal section of the said device; ■ figure 2 illustrates a transversal section of the same device along the A-A plane; - figure 3 illustrates an overall view of the device and the aforementioned set. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention In particular, this valvular device made of silicone rubber for foods, consists in a capsule - formed by olive-shaped body 1 , and a neck consisting in small connecting tube 2 - and in valve 3, lodged in the said body 1. The body of the device is hollow and features exit hole 4, and entrance hole 5 which coincides with the exit hole of connecting tube 2; the said connecting tube 2 features ring-shaped external projection 6, whereby the device is fastened to the user's dental arch. Valve 3 is of the membrane type and is formed by several elastic elements consisting in triangular flaps 7 fixed at the base to the body's internal surface; the said triangular flaps 7, when at rest, join in order to prevent the fluid substance from passing through. The said device features an ordinary parenteral feeding set consisting in small tube 8 connected to bottle or thermos 9, which contains the fluid nutrient and is endowed with ordinary stopper 10, which has an air- intake system that is also triggered by suction. A bell-shaped protective covering for the body of device 1 runs along tube 8, which is connected to bottle (or thermos) 9 and to connecting tube 2. Bottle (or thermos) 9 can either hang upside down from a stand, like an intravenus drip infusion bottle, or rest on a flat surface; in the latter case tube 8 is inserted into bottle (or thermos) 9 until it almost touches the bottom. When a patient or other person who cannot avail himself of normal feeding procedures wishes to be nourished, he must seize tube 8 and insert body 1 of the device in his mouth, and hold it in place by means of external ring-shaped projection 6 and start sucking. The depression that is thus formed inside the body of the device makes triangular flaps 7 of valve 3 bend back, thereby enabling the liquid to flow through. When the user stops sucking, the elasticity of triangular flaps 7 compels them to join once again, thereby preventing the liquid from flowing through. When the device is not in use, the user can run protective covering 11 along tube 8 until it covers body 1 completely, thereby ensuring hygenic conditions. Should the patient be unable to use even just one hand, the nursing staff shall simply have to place this valvular device inside the patient's mouth; it will therefore not be necessary for them to remain and help the patient eat, thereby wasting time, as this device enables him to feed himself without assistance. The small tube (8) can be extremely small or be replaced with a stiff cannula. It can have a metal spring core enabling the tube (8) and the connected device to return automatically to their normal position once the user has released it. Several modifications and variations may be applied to the invention thus conceived, all of which are a part of the invented concept. Furthermore, all items can be replaced with other equivalent items.

Claims: Claims 1 - Valvular device for the liquid oral feeding of persons which opens up through suction, characterized by the fact that the valvular device is made with a soft and elastic material and that it consists in a capsule - formed by an olive-shaped body (1) and a neck consisting in a small connecting tube (2) - and in a valve (3) lodged in the said body (1) which is hollow and features one exit hole (4) and one entrance hole (5) which coincides with the exit hole of the small connecting tube (2); the said small connecting tube (2) is furthermore characterized by a ring-shaped projection (6) which is fastened to the dental arch of the user and by the fact that the small connecting tube (2) is also joined to a small tube (8) - along which runs a bell-shaped protective covering (11) for the body (1) of the device - the said small tube (8) in turn is connected to the bottle (9) or thermos containing the liquid or fluid nutrient and is endowed with a stopper (10) having an ordinary system enabling air to enter the bottle (9) which is also triggered by suction; the said valvular device is also characterized by the valve (3), which stops the liquid from flowing through, is possibly of the membrane type and is formed by two or more elastic elements (for instance the triangular flaps (7) ), whose base is fixed to the internal walls of the body (1); the said elastic elements open up with the user's suction force thereby creating an opening through which the fluid can flow, and return to the resting position after the user stops sucking, thanks to their elastic properties, by falling into place one next to the other, thereby obstructing the fluid's flow. 2 - Valvular device which, according to claim 1 , is characterized by the fact that the body (1) has the shape of a solid derived from the rotation of an ellipse along its greatest diameter with a round transversal section (as in the case of an olive), or with an ellipsoidal transversal section, in which case body (1) has a flattened shape. 3 - Valvular device which, according to claims 1 and 2, is characterized by the fact that the small tube (8) can be extremely small or be replaced with a stiff cannula; the said tube (8) can have a metal spring core enabling it (8) and the connected device to return automatically to their normal position once the user has released it.

Inventors: REINA GIUSEPPE, REINA, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: REINA GIUSEPPE, REINA, GIUSEPPE
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A61J15
IPC codes: A47G19, A61J9, A61J15